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Matthew 5:38-43: Greater than the Haters

We have recently moved to Port Alberni, BC. It is a great community. We are getting to know people and enjoying experiencing the things that happen in the community. This is one of the great things about a smaller community. Probably, in part, because of this there is only one movie theatre in town; so every week you can see the same movie as everyone else in town, if you want to.

Last week our family went to see Hotel Transylvania 3;  simply because I hadn't seen one or two I probably wouldn't have gone without the convincing of my family. It was an excellent movie. It was an excellent show in the way that George Reeves' Superman, Clayton Moore's Lone Ranger, and Adam West's Batman were excellent shows: the good guys were actually good guys.

I have seen so many shows on TV and in the movies this century where the 'good guys' are somewhere between as bad as and worse than the 'bad guys'. I have come to expect that the 'good guys' will seek revenge, torture, maim, and or kill the 'bad guys'. I have tuned in to watch more than one show 5 minutes in and so missed the opening scene that provided the supposed justification for the 'good guys' to commit atrocity after violent act after hatred after unforgiveness.

Because of all of this when Hotel Transylvania 3 was nearing its conclusion, I expected the 'bad guy' to die and the 'good guys' to celebrate his destruction. To my surprise and delight the good guy was actually a good guy and he risked his life an limb to save the antagonist. When questioned about his actions he replied, 'we must be greater than the haters'

This is true in our life too. If we do not forgive our opponents and if we are not better than the bad guys than in reality we may also be the bad guys. However, when we forgive our enemies and pray for those who persecute us then we really will be greater than the haters.
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